As humans interpret the meaning of the words they’re hearing, they must use a wide variety of brain cells — and for the first time, scientists at UC Berkeley have mapped the brain’s inner regions where it all happens.
People’s ability to link words with their meanings lies at the most basic level of brain research and could ultimately lead to machines that give voice to those who cannot speak, the scientists say — stroke victims, for example, or victims of neurologic diseases like ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
In effect, the researchers have produced what they call a “semantic atlas” that shows specific regions of the brain where words and groups of words connect with their meanings as each person perceives them.
Read more from SF Gate | April 28, 2016: https://www.sfgate.com/science/article/New-brain-research-offers-hope-for-those-who-have-7382138.php